Free energy flow density as a measure of complexity
The astrophysicist Chaisson (2001) has proposed an interesting link between energy and complexity. Organisms can be viewed as dissipative structures: Ordered objects whose structure can be maintained thanks to a steady input of high-quality energy. The free energy flow density (ɸ) necessary to sustain such a non-equilibrium structure is a measure of complexity. It can be expressed in erg per [...]
Energy: the Colosseum, slaves and containerships
The energy needed to deliver energy has always been a concern for societies. ‘All our societies require enormous flows of high-quality energy just to sustain, let alone raise, their complexity and order (to keep themselves [ . . . ] far from thermodynamic equilibrium) ... [and] after a certain point in time, without dramatic new technologies for finding and using [...]
Population overshoot, collapse and recovery: the role of climate change in medieval Europe.
Climatic changes have always played a role in human history. Often, it resulted from large volcanic eruptions, which caused a decline in temperature with serious impacts on food supply. Slow variations in geological evolution and planetary position played a role too, at (much) longer time scales. All climatic changes and their impacts tended to be different across different regions. Besides, [...]
Local fisheries: layers of (over)exploitation
Island are offering examples of how societies did or can evolve – think of the historical reconstructions of Easter Island (see blog on this website). One feature is their openness for external influences – sometimes beneficial, sometimes catastrophic, and often a mix of both. In the novel Island, Aldous Huxley describes an ideal society on the imaginary island Pala, where [...]
Networks: one way to understand system behaviour
Definitions Systems consist of elements and their interrelations or linkages. The relations between elements have received ever more attention in science, reinforced by the advent of ICT and in its applications in social media and AI. In particular information flows connecting elements are of great societal relevance. As Harari (2024) warns: "... humankind gains enormous power by building large networks [...]
The Kaibab narrative: management on ill-understood systems
History of Kaibab plateau Numerous models of ecosystems have been made – but sometimes one wonders whether somewhere a reality can be found which more or less is described by such a model. The term empirical validation may be too strong, the aim is model-based story-telling. There are some interesting real-world stories to tell about the ecological predator-prey dynamics. Perhaps, [...]